


Olive Trees

by theorangewitch



Series: Angstober [20]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 05:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16402130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorangewitch/pseuds/theorangewitch
Summary: She laughed again, even more harshly than the last time. “I’m actually disappointed in myself. I’m usually so good at sniffing out spies. None of them can get the ruse quite right, you know. They always get one of two things wrong. Either they can’t hide that they actually loathe me when they’re pretending to adore me or it shows that they’re not quite as at home in the court as they say they are. But you didn’t actually hate me, did you? You liked me as much as I liked you.”





	Olive Trees

**Author's Note:**

> Angstober Day 24 - Refusal to Fight Back. As usual, the link to the full Angstober challenge is in the author's note of the first work in this series.

“I know you’re here, Loretta,” the Countess Mariangela said, voice as soft and pleasant as ever, as she strode out into the castle gardens. “But that’s not your name, is it?”

“No,” Rosaria replied, stepping out from behind the olive tree where she was hiding, her hand on the hilt of her rapier. The Countess’ city-state was farther south than the city-state where Rosaria had grown up. It was warmer, bigger, and richer. Not surrounded by mountains the way Secilia had been. But it wasn’t so different. They’d had olive trees in Secilia too. “My name is Rosaria Rossi, and I am a mercenary, spy, and assassin.”

The Countess chuckled mirthlessly. “So even now you won’t tell me your real name, only your... _ business  _ name?”

“Your brother only knows me by this name.”

“And am I not above my brother in whatever hierarchy exists in your head?”

“No one alive knows me real name,” Rosaria explained, though this wasn’t strictly true. There were certainly people in Secilia and the surrounding mountains who knew her real name. And of course, there was Ada. But Ada was her sister, and Secilia’s people were more or less dead to her. So what did they matter? 

“When I was ten and he was eight I told my brother that I’d found a secret passage that led from the hallway by our rooms to the kitchens,” Mariangela said. “Of course, there was no such passage. The entryway was only a closet. I locked him in there for over an hour until a servant heard him yelling and let him out.” She paused, sighing. “I should’ve known he’d get me back for that. But I didn’t know that he’d do it so sneakily.” She laughed again, even more harshly than the last time. “I’m actually disappointed in myself. I’m usually so good at sniffing out spies. None of them can get the ruse quite right, you know. They always get one of two things wrong. Either they can’t hide that they actually loathe me when they’re pretending to adore me or it shows that they’re not quite as at home in the court as they say they are. But you didn’t actually hate me, did you? You liked me as much as I liked you.”

Rosaria didn’t reply. She only absorbed the clean night air. 

“And you are at home in the court. You’re a noble, aren’t you? Or at least you were. Tell me, Rosaria, why aren’t you in your palace now? Did you leave on your own, or were you driven out, as you’re driving me out now?” Mariangela asked. Again Rosaria couldn’t respond. “Damn, your good,” Mariangela huffed. “It’s no secret that it’s not hard to get into my bed. I have had many lovers. Some who wanted to marry me for my power. Some who wanted the bragging rights of saying they bedded the Countess. Some who just wanted a good lay. I loved many of them, Loretta, Rosaria, whatever your real name is, but I can say with utter certainty that you’re the only one I liked.”

“Strong words,” Rosaria finally replied after a long silence. 

“I have strong feelings,” Mariangela said simply. “Surely my brother has sent you here to kill me.” She unsheathed the longsword at her hip, and then promptly dropped it on the ground. “Do it if you must. But I won’t kill you to save my own life. I don’t want that kind of blood on my hands.”

Rosaria took in the Countess’ words and then unsheathed her rapier. 


End file.
